


Carat Day Miracle

by Swanny_Writer



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: But here it is, Fluff, Jun is kind of oblivious lol, M/M, Valentine's Day, Wonwoo is in denial, gyuhao is if you squint, i blame wonhui, i'm not sure why my brain decided to write a V-day fic in april
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-17 19:37:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10600818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swanny_Writer/pseuds/Swanny_Writer
Summary: With Valentine’s Day approaching, Wonwoo comes to realize his feelings for Jun (aka the one where everyone knows WonHui are dating, except Wonwoo).





	

On an unusually calm afternoon in February, Wonwoo sits on a couch in the living room, reading his latest book. Silence fills the room aside from the soft snoring coming from the boy curled up in his lap. Turning a page, he glances down at the mop of messy but soft blond hair, and he cracks a tiny smile. Wonwoo is glad he takes naps, considering the amount of sleep he usually gets. Although he knows it’s vastly more than Jihoon, he still doesn't think it’s enough. Especially with late practices and his habit of waking up at the crack of dawn to prepare breakfast for all the members. Besides, this is the only instance he could stay still for more than ten minutes; Wonwoo enjoys the rarity of the sight.

Gently, as to not disturb the sleeping boy, Wonwoo reaches out to stroke his bangs out of his face. He looks so young and innocent like this, for a moment, Wonwoo forgets the plot of his book and simply stares.

The tranquility is disturbed, however, when Soonyoung and Seungkwan bounce into the building, feet stomping and mouths shouting down the corridor.

“Junnie! It’s your turn to record!” Soonyoung sings the moment the front door bursts open.

The boy in his lap stirs, rolling onto his back and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. A small pout forms on his usual sharp features as he stares up at Wonwoo through the gap of his arms. “They’re loud,” he complains, and Wonwoo chuckles, watching him sit up and stretch. His back arches, and Wonwoo can’t help seeing the resemblance to a cat.

Two thirds of the Gag Trio come barreling in then. “There you are!” Seungkwan exclaims, walking over to sit on the other end of the couch. “You didn’t answer Jihoon’s texts.”

“Sorry,” Junhui yawns, cupping his mouth with a hand. “I was napping.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Soonyoung says, “Chan is still in there, but I figured we should get you before he’s completely done.”

Nodding, Junhui gets to his feet and turns to Wonwoo. “Thanks for being my pillow,” he smiles, still a little sleepy.

“Anytime, buddy!” Wonwoo gives a short wave, and Junhui laughs, heading for the hall to put his shoes on. A few seconds later, he hears the door open and close.

BooSoon collectively throw a glance toward the end of the hall, before turning to him with matching mischievous expressions. “So what are you guys doing for Valentine’s Day?”

Wonwoo blinks, trying to determine if he heard wrong. “Who?”

“You and Jun! Who else?”

“Uh… We’re not dating, though.”

“Like hell you aren’t!” Seungkwan shouts, apparently offended at reality. “You guys are basically attached at the hip.”

“So are you and Soonyoung,” he points out.

Seungkwan huffs and gives him a look. “I don’t constantly hold his hand, do I? I don’t follow him with my eyes whenever he leaves or enters the room. And I laugh at him whenever he does something embarrassing or dumb. Unlike somebody who always tries to help Jun out whenever he struggles.”

“I know,” Soonyoung mutters. “You’re so mean to me!”

“Anyway!” the younger member ignores the fake tears and turns to Wonwoo. “More than that, we don’t go on dates!”

“Well, neither do we.”

“You go out every single night we don’t have events scheduled,” Soonyoung provides.

“We don’t do it every night. And that’s not a date, either,” he argues. “We just go get food.”

Seungkwan quirks a brow. “With just the two of you? And not inviting anyone else along?”

“We would if you guys could handle spicy food. Besides, we have offered, but after being declined five times in a row, what’s the point?”

Seungkwan rolls his eyes. “Well, excuse me for not wanting to be a third wheel.”

“I don’t mind being a third wheel,” their performance leader chimes in. “I just don’t want to burn my tongue and sweat buckets out in public.”

“Okay…” Wonwoo replies slowly, really wanting to get back to his book now. “Well, to get back to your earlier question, I’m not planning anything for Valentine’s Day, because Jun and I are not dating.” To end the conversation, he opened up his book and begins to find his place.

The others exchange looks. “I never knew someone could be in so much denial,” the older of the two muses.

“Seriously.”

Wonwoo pretends to not hear them.

 

Nothing unusual happens after Junhui returns from the studio with the other members. Except for the fact that Wonwoo catches himself watching Junhui coming through the door, becoming highly aware of how often he keeps searching for him amidst the others. But that doesn’t prove anything, he tells himself, as they decide as a group to order in. Definitely does not prove that Soonyoung and Seungkwan might be correct. From the time they placed the order until the food’s arrival, Wonwoo forces his gaze to be indifferent to Junhui’s movements around the room. He certainly doesn’t pay attention to him bringing out napkins and cups from the kitchen, nor does he see him and Jihoon playing with a water bottle in the corner of the room.

After Seungcheol and Mingyu bring the food in from the door, everyone take seats on the floor to begin to eat. As luck would have it, he finds himself across from Junhui. Well, now it would be weird to not look at someone when they are right in front of you, right? Wonwoo thinks so; therefore, he lets his gaze wander back to Junhui. The blond smiles at him, and he feels at peace.

Once everyone’s belly is full and satisfied, they settle in for movie night. As usual, it’s the luck of the draw. Whoever’s name gets picked gets the right to choose the movie. Seungcheol pulls out a slip of paper from his cap and calls out Wonwoo’s name. While he throws up a fist in victory, the rest of the team groan. All except Junhui. But then again, Junhui hardly complains about anything.

The horror movie is, as Wonwoo expects, gruesome and terrifying, just the way he likes them. The occasional gasps and yelps accompany the creepy soundtrack, along with Mingyu’s screams and Minghao’s dull slaps against his arm to make him shush. Partway through, he senses movements on his right. He glances over to see Junhui with his knees to his chest, arms curled around them, teeth worrying his bottom lip. His shoulder jumps, the material of his sleeve rubbing against Wonwoo’s. He is absolutely frozen in fear. It might make Wonwoo a terrible person for thinking this, but Junhui looks really cute. Without thinking, Wonwoo reaches over and takes hold of one of Junhui’s hands, gently prying it off from its current grip on his knee.

Junhui looks over and offers him a grateful smile. They hold hands for the rest of the movie. Whenever a particularly scary scene comes on, he feels his neighbor squeeze his hand, and he returns the pressure comfortingly.

The movie at last comes to an end, and everyone stands up to stretch, chatting over the ending in varying degrees of volume and opinions. Needless to say, Mingyu has a lot to say about the amount of blood shown, as well as whether the jump scares were really necessary. Apparently, jump scares were cheap ways to elicit fear. While he continues to elaborate on how horror movies should be directed to Jeonghan and Jisoo, Minghao sneaks up behind him and jumps out. His blood-curling scream is only overpowered by the laughter around them. Minghao is laughing so hard, he has to grab onto Chan as the two bend over, holding their stomachs. Mingyu pouts, threatening to kick his best friend. The shenanigans don’t end until Seungcheol, while attempting to control his own laughter, corrals everyone to bed. Mocking Mingyu forgotten, the members now race off to claim the bathrooms.

Junhui gets to his feet, and it’s at that moment that Wonwoo remembers he’s still holding his hand. He lets himself be pulled up, but before he can let go of the now warm hand, he catches the pointed looks Seungkwan and Soonyoung throw his way. He could have sworn they were among the group who ran out earlier. He ignores them. Junhui leads him away, completely oblivious to the exchanges. He figures the scaredy-cat is still a little frazzled from the movie, so he’ll be nice and keep holding his hand for a few more minutes. Not because it feels really nice.

***

A couple days pass, and they’re in the practice room, learning a new choreography. While Wonwoo is breathing and panting like a freight train, his muscles sore and his body feeling boneless, he watches the performance team still going at it, perfecting minute details. He watches from the side as Junhui steps into position, his moves precise and smooth, sharp and powerful, yet remaining graceful and light as the music changes. Wonwoo is mesmerized for a moment, almost forgetting his own fatigue. He tells himself to stop staring, but the sight of the dancer in a thin, sweat-drenched tank top makes the feat really difficult. He blames it all on his fellow 96-liner and his stupidly good physique.

When Soonyoung finally allows a break, he all but collapses on the floor along with whoever is next to him. He thinks it might be Hansol, but he can’t bring himself to move and check. A sports bottle appears in front of his nose. He follows the long, tan fingers gripping the clear gray plastic, up toward the slender yet muscular arm, landing on Junhui’s face. He’s greeted by a dazzling smile despite its owner’s evident exhaustion.

“Thanks, Jun,” he breathes out, grabbing the bottle.

“Drink up!” the latter jokes, turning around to move to the next member, who turns out to be in fact, Hansol. Junhui hands him his green bottle, and the two exchanged a few words. Then he’s off to the next person on the floor to give them the icy beverage, since they couldn’t get up and get it themselves.

Wonwoo has gulped down a third of his bottle, and he is playing with the condensation forming on the little cartoon sloth, when he hears Mingyu sliding down next to him and say, “You’re so lucky.”

He looks over at the taller boy. “About what?”

“The way Jun takes care of you.”

“Jun takes care of everyone.”

Mingyu rolls his eyes. “Here,” he shoves his orange sports bottle toward Wonwoo. “Take a sip.”

Wonwoo eyes the offered water, noticing nothing but clear liquid and a few ice cubes. He doesn't really why he should taste his water, but Mingyu insists with a raised brow, so he flicks the tab up and drinks a sip. “What about it?” he asks, smacking his lips. “Tastes like water.”

“Yeah, exactly.” The younger of the two takes back his bottle and caps it. “We don’t all get a homemade pitcher of sparkling water with a touch of lemon.” For emphasis, he tosses Wonwoo’s bottle in his hands, shaking the ice and lemon slices inside. “You better treat him for Valentine’s Day.”

Wonwoo wants to argue, although he’s not sure how to refute the fact that Junhui did give him special treatment, but Mingyu is already standing up to go bother Minghao across the room.

 

In the hour between the end of practice and dinnertime, Wonwoo goes to take a nap and recharge. At least, that’s what he has planned before crashing head first into his mattress. By the time he wakes up, the sky has already been dyed with ink, swirling around the last few orange rays of the day. The dorm is strangely quiet as he makes his way down the hall, and he wonders if the members left him for dead to go and eat dinner by themselves. Groggy and a little miffed, he steps into the living room, only to see Junhui curled up in the corner, book balanced on his knees.

“Hey,” he croaks out, then clears his throat, still thick with sleep.

His companion glances up, seemingly a little lost as he blinks a few times. “Oh, Wonwoo. Hey.”

“Where is everybody?”

Junhui tucks a receipt inside the book as a makeshift bookmark and stands up. “They went out to get food. Are you hungry? I can rummage through the pantry and see what we have.”

Wonwoo nods, following sheepishly behind his friend into the kitchen. He feels touched that the older waited for him, and a bit guilty when he sees the time displayed on the oven clock. “Why didn’t you join them?”

The sound of pots and pans clacking together fills the silence for a second, before Junhui manages to pull one out to fill it with water from the sink. “I gorged myself with snacks after practice, so I wasn’t hungry. Ramen okay?”

“Sure.” Wonwoo takes a seat at the counter, watching Junhui glide back and forth getting the packets of instant noodles from the cupboard, and grabbing two bowls from the cabinet. He hums softly as he searches through the fridge for ingredients, singing a few words from time to time.

In no time at all, a hot bowl of spicy ramen is set in front of him, and Wonwoo’s stomach grumbles from the delicious flavor. They eat in comfortable silence, only disturbed by the sound of slurping noodles and broth. Wonwoo isn’t sure if it tastes extra good tonight because he had worked up and appetite after that grueling practice session, or if it is because of the person who cooked it. As he helps Junhui do the dishes, he decides the answer isn’t very important at the moment.

They relocate to the living room couch, sitting next to each other. By instinct, Wonwoo opens his arm for Junhui to tuck himself against his side. He encircles his arm around the blond’s back, drumming a silent tune against his hip. The house is quiet. His belly is full. He has Junhui’s weight pressed against him, the older’s warmth chasing away the chills of the evening. He tucks Junhui’s head under his chin, and he breathes the familiar scent of shampoo. Tan fingers trace patterns on his shirt as the two boys discuss their current books, laughing and arguing over plots and characters.

Wonwoo feels, in a word, content.

A ruckus from the doorway alerts them of the others’ return. They both turn their heads toward the noise as the members file in.

“How was dinner?” Junhui asks with a smile, not budging from his seat.

“Amazing,” Soonyoung sighs dreamily, sitting on his other side. “You missed out on a feast!” he patted his fellow performance team member. The latter just laughs.

“Where did you guys go?” Wonwoo wonders, throwing his question at no one in particular.

“Management treated us to sushi,” Seungkwan provides, coming back from the kitchen with a can of soda. “It was so good. Too bad you guys weren’t there.”

“Wonwoo wouldn’t have been able to enjoy it anyway,” Mingyu points out.

“Probably why Junhui stayed back,” Minghao mutters. “Pass me the chips.”

“You just ate!”

“So?”

“Let him eat,” Seokmin laughs, “He needs to gain weight anyway.”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Seungcheol interrupts. “No fighting. Let’s all share the snacks.” His scolding goes ignored as the members continue to wrestle over the bag of chips.

Jeonghan, unhelpfully, laughs at their leader. “Guess you hold less authority than a bag of chips.”

“Shut up!” he snaps, shaking his head.

Wonwoo rolls his eyes at the scene, now so familiar to him. His mind no longer pays attention to the squabbling children as he focuses on the fact that Junhui declined a fancy treat from their management, just so he could stay and wait for Wonwoo and eat cheap ramen with him. His heart tightens, and he unconsciously holds the boy in his arm closer. The dancer doesn’t notice, though, as he’s busy laughing with Hansol at Mingyu abuses his height to hold the chips well out of reach of a pouting Seungkwan and Chan. Behind him, though, Minghao is already sneaking up. While the other two distract the tallest member, Minghao approaches silently and kicks his knees in. Mingyu topples over like the tree that he is, and the three throw themselves on him. Before long, a dog pile has formed, with a screeching Mingyu at the bottom. Just a typical evening at the dorms.

That evening, while Wonwoo shares the bathroom with Soonyoung and Seokmin, they bring up the free dinner, which Wonwoo should have figured. Bad planning on his part. He should’ve waited to go in with Jihoon and Jisoo. At least they know to keep their thoughts to themselves.

“So, still think you and Jun are just best buds?” Seokmin asks, nudging his side with his elbow, grinning so brightly, there really wasn’t any need for the lights.

“The dude declined free food for you,” Soonyoung added in. “And you know he never says no to food. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”

Wonwoo is grateful for the toothpaste and foam filling his mouth, so he doesn’t have to respond. Because frankly, his mind has blanked out. Love?

 

He continues to think about it that night in bed. Is Junhui in love with him? Is he in love with Junhui? He has no idea what his feelings toward his best friend is, aside from the way he older makes him feel—at peace, happy, comforted. And he can’t deny that Junhui does treat him more special than the rest of the band. While the idea and probability that his best friend might indeed be in love with him sends a thrill up his spine and makes his chest expand, he can’t help but think of the repercussions. It’s never wise to add romantic feelings to a friendship, especially one he values so much. Moreover, what if things don’t work out? They’ll still have to work and live together as members of SEVENTEEN. It would become awkward and uncomfortable for everyone, not just the two of them.

Taking all of it into consideration, Wonwoo decides to put some distance between him and Junhui. After all, there is the tiny chance that the Gag Trio, Mingyu and Minghao are wrong, and that Junhui is simply very affectionate and caring and considerate, regardless of which member he takes care of.

For the following few days, he purposely sits between other members, so that Junhui couldn’t use him as a pillow, and vice versa. He constantly tags along at least another person, to avoid being alone with Junhui. While he mentally has to remind himself to act casual and natural, he doesn’t fail to notice how unnatural it feels to not be near his best friend.

***

Tonight, Seungcheol picks the 96-line to go shopping. Soonyoung pairs off with Wonwoo before he even has the chance to consider whether or not he should stick to Junhui. The two linger in the back as the four members enter the grocery store. Jihoon and Junhui are chatting as they grab a cart and push it along. He hears paper rustling as Jihoon pulls out their list and checks it, reciting what they need to get. At the end, he glances over at Junhui.

“Anything else you want to buy?”

“Hm,” the blond makes a show of thinking hard, eyes upturned, hand on his chin. “How about Woozi’s heart?”

Soonyoung guffaws, while Junhui’s lips stretch into a tiny, shy smile that Wonwoo couldn’t help finding cute. Instead of cringing or hitting him as Wonwoo expects of Jihoon, the musician actually giggles and blushes. To hide, he turns around and follows as the dancer hums and pushes the cart along. The shorter of the two places his hand on the other’s back like it’s the most natural thing in the world, as if his hand is supposed to belong there. Wonwoo watches with both curiosity, shock, and an unknown emotion wedging itself between his ribcage.

“What just happened?” he asks Soonyoung, who was busy checking out the cookies on sale.

“Hm? Oh, you mean them?” He puts the cookies back and picks up a bag of fried onions. “I don’t know, I guess Jihoon has a soft spot for him. You never noticed?” Wonwoo shakes his head, trying to avoid watching his friends behaving like a domestic couple out on a shopping trip. But at the same time, he’s unable to look anywhere else but them.

Thankfully (or maybe not), Jihoon suggests they split up to make the trip more efficient. Knowing Soonyoung and Junhui, and their penchant love of snacks, he sends the performance unit leader with Wonwoo to grab the essential household items, while he supervises their dancer as they get the food. Without protests, Junhui continues to push the cart in the other direction, arm brushing Jihoon’s where the shorter boy rests his hand on the cart handle. Soonyoung, with a knowing smirk as he glances at Wonwoo’s less than enthusiastic expression (which was completely different from his usual blank face), hooks his arm with his shopping partner and pulls him along.

By the time they reconvene by the registers, Team Household notices a few items in the cart that weren’t on the list.

“I thought you were supposed to supervise him,” Wonwoo retorted, eyeing the snacks.

Jihoon sighs. “I was. If I weren’t, he’d have gotten twice as many.”

“Only because everyone keeps stealing them!” Junhui defends himself.

“You can always say no, you know,” Wonwoo points out.

“Junnie doesn’t know how to say no,” Soonyoung adds his two-cent, and the other dancer sticks his tongue out at him. “Anyway, apparently Jihoonie doesn’t know how to say no to him, either.”

“Shut up!” Jihoon growls at the same time as Junhui exclaims, “Aww! Jihoon, you love me!” Then he proceeds to back hug the musician, and once again, instead of resorting to violence, Jihoon merely sighs and hangs his head, patting the hands over his stomach in a somewhat awkward, but fond way.

That weird and uncomfortable sensation in Wonwoo’s chest still lingers after they return from their trip. It gets more acute when Junhui spends the evening with Hansol and the Gag Trio, somehow combining pillow fighting, tag, and hide-and-seek. By the time Seungcheol and Jeonghan have had enough of the shrieks and put a stop to it, the idiots are rolling on the floor, panting from all the running and laughing. Hansol nestles his head on Junhui’s shoulder, while the latter lays on top of Seokmin’s stomach.

Even though Wonwoo has been the one who initiated the distance between them, he doesn’t like it at all. With a huff, he grabs his book and goes to his room. A voice at the back of his head pops up, sounding a lot like Soonyoung’s for some reason, tells him it’s jealousy. He shakes is head and waves the thought away like a pesky fly.

***

If Junhui notices the drift, he doesn’t comment on it. During practices, he still hands Wonwoo water and clean towels (as he does to everyone), but Wonwoo can’t help but stare at the lemon slices in his bottle and think that he’s still somewhat special in Junhui’s eyes.

Until Chan exclaims, “Oh! You added lemon today!”

Junhui smiles proudly, while Wonwoo’s face crumbles. Figuratively, of course. On the surface, he still looks expressionless. Which was nice because his head is currently swimming with question marks. Does this prove that he was right? That everything “special” wasn’t really special at all? That Junhui isn’t actually in love with him? If there were the case, why does being right not make him feel any better?

***

A few days before Valentine’s Day, and Wonwoo is no closer to getting the answers to his questions. SEVENTEEN is in the kitchen today, shooting a surprise video for the fans in honor of Carats Day. Mingyu, Seungcheol, Jisoo, Seungkwan, Soonyoung, and Minghao are attempting to bake cupcakes. The second group would be in charge of decorating. While the first half is busy, the rest are sitting off-screen, watching the usual shenanigans, laughing along. Since the kitchen has limited space, only a few had managed to snatch a seat, Junhui being one of them. Even though Wonwoo tries not to stare and keep his attention on the members behind the counter, he can’t help stealing glances to his left. And every time he did, he frowns a little more. The sight isn’t an unusual occurrence, yet it irks him. But that might have something to do with his recent insomnia.

Oblivious to his contempt, Junhui and Hansol continue to laugh loudly, with Junhui holding the boy on his lap tighter to keep him from falling over. Wonwoo is too preoccupied pretending to be nonchalant, he has no idea how the group manages to actually mix the batter and pour it out into the baking sheets.

While the cupcakes are in the oven, of course, Seungkwan and Soonyoung get a game going. At the mention of a game, all thirteen boys stand at attention, because game means prize. The two MCs explain the game, which is supposed to be played in pairs. Before Wonwoo knows what takes over him, he grabs Junhui’s wrist and declares them partners. The blond looks surprised, but not unhappy. The others pair off, and for the first round, three teams go to stand behind the counter: Wonwoo with Junhui, Mingyu with Minghao, and Seungcheol with Jeonghan.

The rules are explained. The pairs are each handed a picture of a sandwich, with different ingredients, stacked in different orders. Person A sits on Person B’s lap. Person A gets to look at the picture for ten seconds, then he will instruct Person B on how to recreate the exact same sandwich. To prevent cheating, each team has to wear a jacket backward over the torso of Person A, while Person B puts their arms through the sleeves, looking over Person A’s shoulders. Person A doesn’t get to touch the ingredients; he can only tell Person B what to do. Each team has 30 seconds to finish. Whichever sandwich resembles the picture the most wins.

From past experiences, Wonwoo knows how bad Junhui is with giving directions, especially during games. So he volunteers to be Person A, sitting at the front of the stool. Junhui agrees easily, taking the rest of the seat. It is not until that very moment that Wonwoo realizes the predicament he has put himself in. His back is flushed against Junhui’s chest, their thighs pressed together just to fit on the single chair, Junhui’s warm breath tickling his neck. All of that is plenty to raise his body temperature and cover him in pink. But that isn’t even the worst part.

The worst part is that now, his very good looking partner’s smooth and enthralling voice is right by his ear. And it doesn’t help that he’s whispering to Wonwoo. The nature of the words isn’t important; after all, he’s just giving Wonwoo words of encouragement, things to get their fighting spirits soaring. But none of it registers in Wonwoo’s muddled brain. All he can think of is how someone can sound so fucking sexy whispering such lame and dorky lines. He represses a shudder, gritting his teeth and leaning his elbows on the surface in front of him to attempt to escape the tempting warmth.

The jackets are distributed, and his partner puts his arms through the sleeves, trapping Wonwoo between the material and his hard chest. He fists his hands and bites into his knuckles to keep himself from moaning when Junhui wiggles behind him, trying to adjust the strange sensation of wearing a jacket backward with another person on your chest. Next, the picture of the sandwiches are handed out, and Junhui, oblivious to Wonwoo’s internal turmoil, decides to cuddle him. He cradles his forehead against Wonwoo’s back to avoid looking at the sheet of paper on the table, and Wonwoo can feel his self-restraint slipping. He has to physically shake his head to clear it, focusing on the cartoon sandwich. He forces himself to use his brain cells to memorize the picture instead of picking up on every minute movement coming from the guy hugging him.

Fortunately, once the game starts, the adrenaline kicks in, and he’s temporarily distracted by the desire to win. He yells out commands, frustrated that he can’t help move the ingredients himself. Junhui tries his best to listen to Wonwoo’s voice over the ruckus of the others shouting at their respective partners, not to mention the cheers from the peanut gallery. His hands move fast, spreading condiments, adding cheese and tomatoes, following the order that Wonwoo dictates. In the end, they come in second place, behind Seungcheol and Jeonghan. Wonwoo is positive Jeonghan cheated somehow, but he didn’t want to bring forth the older’s savagery, so he keeps quiet. Minghao and Mingyu lost because they spent most of their time arguing about whether Mingyu could tell the difference between ham and turkey. The two bicker so often, no one even bats an eye anymore. It doesn’t take long for them to laugh together again.

They don’t get to play a second round, because it took longer than they anticipated, and the timer on the stove is down to less than three minutes. The jackets are collected, and the game comes to an end. Someone gets a knife and cuts up the sandwiches to share with everyone. Wonwoo could have gotten up at any time after the winner was announced. And so could have Junhui, yet they remain on their tiny stool, Wonwoo painfully aware of the parts of his body pressed up against the older one’s. To help keep his sanity, he leans his elbows on the table again, but it doesn’t do much of a difference to the rate of his heart. The members mill about, munching on the pieces of sandwiches, talking loudly as usual.

“Open up!” Junhui’s soft and playful voice reaches him, and he barely has time to follow the instructions before a bite-sized ham and cheese sandwich is fed into his mouth. He looks over his shoulder at a smirking Junhui, eyes crinkling with mischief. “I think ours was the best, taste-wise, at least.” He licks the mayo off of his fingers, and Wonwoo tries not to stare.

He fails.

Thank goodness for Junhui’s obliviousness.

Wonwoo swallows and nods. “Good job, partner!”

Junhui laughs, a light and lilting sound that makes the corners of Wonwoo's mouth curl up despite himself. The dancer reaches up to meet the high-five. After their hands meet, though, he doesn’t let go. He tangles their fingers together and keeps hold of Wonwoo’s hand, lowering it down to rest on the rapper’s knee. They’ve held hands before—that was nothing new. And yet this time, Wonwoo’s stomach flip flops.

***

_Well today sucked..._

Wonwoo wanders back to the dorms from the studio, exhausted and cranky. It’s not often that his unit hits writer’s block, but when they do, it always seems like they’ll never be able to write a good song again. The day had just been unproductive all around. No one agreed with anyone, neither the music nor the lyrics seemed good enough. They were at each other’s throat all day, especially when Jihoon sat in to “help”. If it hadn’t been for Seungcheol calling it a night, they might have ended up saying things they’d all regret come morning. Usually, they get along just fine. But on some days, things just went wrong.

Wonwoo finishes getting ready and glances at the clock over the bathroom mirror: 3:40am. Even after showering, he still can’t get rid of the negative emotions and nasty frustration. He doesn’t feel like going back to his bed, but he’s also too tired to stay up and read to distract himself. Besides, the last thing he wants is to have Seungcheol lecture him for not getting enough sleep. It doesn’t take him long to come to a solution. As he grabs his pillow from his room and heads down the empty hall, he pointedly ignores the implication that his choice signified. He’ll deal with that tomorrow.

He stops at the door in the dark corridor and gently pushes it open. The familiar sight greets him, the soft snoring from the beds surrounds him. With the light streaming through the windows from the street, he manages to walk over to the one particular bed.  
As lightly as he can managed, he lifts the covers and slides under them. A soft groan comes from the bed’s owner. “Wonwoo?” Junhui’s voice is deeper than normal, weighed down by sleep.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Junhui shuffles over to allow him in, extending an arm out in invitation. Without hesitation, Wonwoo rolls over and snuggles against his side, head nestled on his chest. “Don’t worry about it,” he assures him, fingers running lightly through the damp locks. They stay quiet for a moment, and Wonwoo listens to Junhui’s steady heartbeat, the sound so comforting. “Everything all right?”

First he nods, then shakes his head, fisting the other’s shirt.

“Do you want to talk about it?” This time, Wonwoo only shakes his head, and the dancer nods. “Okay, sweet dreams.”

He feels Junhui’s lips brush softly against his forehead, and he sighs in contentment. Just that small gesture is enough to shed off his annoyance and anger. Curling his leg over Junhui’s, he falls asleep.

***

Over the next couple days, he stops staying away from Junhui. He figures there is no longer any point. While he’s not yet ready to label whatever these feelings are, he can be honest enough with himself to say that he doesn’t want it to end. Even if his insides turn to mush whenever he so much as makes eye contact with him, Wonwoo thinks having Junhui smile at him is the best feeling in the world. And so, they resume their usual positions on the couch, return to their food dates, and go back to whispering to each other every time they hold conversations with the whole band around.

In no time at all, Valentine’s Day arrives. After a full day of practice, recording, and talking to fans, they finally get the evening to themselves. They are lounging around in the living room, some watching a movie, and others chatting or playing with their phones. Wonwoo is sitting on the floor with Soonyoung and Seokmin, half listening to their conversation, half watching the action movie Hansol chose. He glances at the clock for the fifth time and frowns. Why is time going so slowly?

“I wonder what’s taking Junhui so long,” Seokmin casually wonders, pulling out a deck of cards.

“No idea,” his partner in crime responds with a shrug, picking up the dealt cards. “Any idea, Wonwoo?”

“No, why would I know?”

“Aren’t you curious?” the main vocal asks.

“No.”

He receives a shove from his neighbor. “Stops lying! You’ve been checking the clock every five seconds.”

Wonwoo can feel his cheeks blazing. How had the hyper hamster notice him? To hide his face, he makes a show of fixing his bangs. “What? Is it wrong to check the time?”

“No, but it’s wrong to lie about missing your boyfriend,” the hamster snickers, joined by his accomplice the horse.

“But isn’t it a bit obsessive when he’s only been gone less than twenty minutes?”

Wonwoo rolls his eyes.

The front door opens then, and all three heads snap toward the entryway. “I’m back!” Junhui’s happy and excited voice fills the room, and Wonwoo feels himself relaxing. “And I have goodies!” He shows the room two bags filled with rectangular boxes.

Everyone pauses what they’re currently doing to surround the bearer of goodies. Standing in the middle of the circle, he pulls out small boxes of chocolate. “It’s not Valentine’s Day without chocolate, right?”

His question is met with very enthusiastic cheers. Seungcheol orders them to settle down before they crush their poor dancer-turned chocolate fairy. One by one, they are handed the chocolate, and of course, they devour it without prompting.

Not wanting to be crushed by the crowd, Wonwoo had hung back. With the last member getting his treat, Wonwoo finally approaches Junhui. Only to see that the bags are both empty. He looks up from the bags to Junhui’s face. The latter is wearing a mischievous smirk as he pulls a piece of folded paper from his jeans pocket. A little unsure, Wonwoo takes it. Upon opening it, he finds a riddle in Junhui’s neat handwriting.

Confused, he stares at the sender after reading it. “Everyone gets chocolate, and I get a lame riddle?”

“It’s not lame! It took me a long time to come up with it,” he argues defensively, but there is no real anger. “Anyway, if you can solve the riddle, you’ll get your prize. Good luck!” He sends Wonwoo off with a wave and giggle.

Since the rest of the members are distracted by the sweets, he is spared the teasing and manages to concentrate. All the while, though, his heart beats erratically in anticipation of what he would find. After some deliberation, he finds the answer and goes to the roof, where he finds Junhui on his phone. The light from the screen reflects across his face, putting the sharp features into contrast with the darkness around him. Wonwoo only has a few seconds to admire him before he hears him.

He looks up and over, an excited grin blooming on his face. “You did it! Good job!” He jumps off the table with flourish, waiting for the riddle solver to approach.

“You do know that I could have just waited a bit and followed you, right?”

“Yeah,” he nods, tapping his chin. “In retrospect, my waiting by it wasn’t a very bright idea.”

They laugh.

“So where’s my chocolate?” Wonwoo asks impatiently, scanning around the roof for the same wrapping paper that had adorned the other members’ candy.

Junhui laughs and reaches for a pretty paper bag hidden underneath the table. “Here you go.”

Excitement threatens to bubble out of him, but he manages to clamp it down enough to tell Junhui, “I don’t have anything for you, though.”

But that didn’t deter his companion, who chuckles. “It’s okay. None of the others did, either. Come on, open it!”

At his urging, Wonwoo carefully pulls the small box out. It looks a lot fancier than the ones the rest of the members received. Carefully, he peels back the layer of paper, much to the giver’s impatience. When he finally pulls the paper off, his jaw hangs open. It was fancy, alright. Super fancy. And difficult to procure. He has no idea how Junhui even managed to get his hands on them.

“Jun…” But he doesn’t know how to finish his sentence. His brain is still reeling from the shock. He hears Junhui’s soft chuckle, though.

“I figured if I was going to do it, I might as well go for it. Besides, chocolate goes better with Valentine’s Day than birthdays, so.” He shrugs, smiling sheepishly.

Wonwoo feels guilty about the expensive gift, but not enough to dampen his joy at the fact that Junhui remembered one random comment he made about wanting to taste the chocolate brand so many months ago.

“Thank you,” he says, which seems so little in comparison to what Junhui has gone through. Too little to demonstrate how appreciative he is of everything the older does for him. Not adequate at all to show Junhui the depth of his feelings for him. Because he has finally realized it—or maybe he knew it all along, but was too scared to see—but he is in love with Wen Junhui.

“I lied,” he says, locking his gaze on a very confused Junhui. The latter tilts his head, sparkling eyes wide, full lips slightly parted. “I said I didn’t have a present for you, but I actually do.”

“Really?” Excitement brightens his face, and the corners of his mouth lift up in a dazzling grin.

“Close your eyes.” His eyes narrows just a fraction in suspicion, but it didn’t dull the smirk. “Come on, Junnie. Trust me.” So Junhui does as he is asked and closes his eyes. Wonwoo takes the opportunity to admire the fine features, counting the thick lashes fanning across his cheeks, sweeping his gaze over the cute freckles. He does’t snap out of it until Junhui lets out a tiny whine, but his eyes are still obediently closed, though, which Wonwoo finds so adorable, he can’t help but laugh softly, dispelling a few butterflies from his stomach.

Then he leans in and presses his lips against Junhui’s. A small surprised sound escapes, but he quickly responds. His hands come to tug on Wonwoo’s shirt, while Wonwoo pulls his body closer by the hips.

For the next few moments, nothing else exists in Wonwoo’s world. Only Junhui. How nice it feels to have him in his arms. How well they fit together. The warmth enveloping them despite the chilling night. The taste of Junhui on his tongue, how soft his lips feel. He never wants this moment to end.

When they pull apart for air, both are breathing raggedly, but wearing matching smiles and flushed cheeks. Wonwoo reaches up to trace his thumb across Junhui’s pink and slightly swollen bottom lip. “I love you."

The smile that blooms on his face is brighter than the sun, but Wonwoo is willing to go blind. “That’s not fair,” the older one whines. “Last minute gifts aren’t supposed to be better than the ones planned in advance.”  
Wonwoo laughs, the sound so much lighter than he is used to. He pecks Junhui’s nose, arms circling around to tug him closer still. “You can always try better next year.”

Junhui narrows his eyes and scrunches up his nose, but it looks too cute to be anything but teasing. They laugh again, and this time, it’s Junhui who takes Wonwoo’s breath away. “I love you, too,” he whispers against the brunet’s ear.

When they return to the living room a while later, all the chocolate eaten between the two of them, Soonyoung glances up from the monopoly board. He snaps his focus to their joined hands immediately, his eyes widening and a broad smile appears on his face. He elbows Seungkwan, who has a similar reaction. Then he smacks Seokmin to look. With the domino effect, every head soon turns to follow the new couple as they head for the couch. Junhui sits down and becomes Wonwoo’s pillow, combing his long fingers through the black hair. Only until then do they notice their members all staring their way.

“What?” they both ask.

“It finally happened,” Soonyoung says in awe. “It’s a Valentine’s Day miracle!”

“No,” Seungkwan corrects. “It’s a Carat Day miracle."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This was my first wonhui fic, my first fanfic period... so i really hope it was ok, even though it was pretty silly. Also, sorry for the fake junhoon and junsol. Jun is so shippable, i can't help myself XD
> 
> Anyway, feedback is greatly appreciated!


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